Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the Knicks gave suffering New Yorkers something to cheer with a 104-84 victory over the Miami Heat in their storm-delayed season opener Friday night.

In the first sporting event in New York since Superstorm Sandy, the Knicks dominated a game the Heat players weren’t sure should even be played with the city still so devastated. But the Knicks hoped they could provide a distraction for a few hours, and fans who were able to watch surely loved what they saw from a team that could barely compete with Miami last season.

Steve Novak, a nonfactor against the Heat in last season’s playoffs, added 17 points off the bench, and Raymond Felton had 14 points and nine assists to begin his second stint with the Knicks.

Bobcats 90, Pacers 89: Kemba Walker scored a career-high 30 points in Mike Dunlap’s coaching debut, and host Charlotte snapped a 23-game losing streak with a victory over Indiana. The Bobcats lost their final 23 games last season to finish 7-59, the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history.

Indiana played without forward Danny Granger, the team’s leading scorer the past five seasons, who is sidelined indefinitely with soreness in his left knee.

Rockets 109, Hawks 102: James Harden scored a career-high 45 for visiting Houston, topping 30 points for the second time in his first week with his new team. Harden was traded to the Rockets from Oklahoma City on Saturday. Jeremy Lin (Palo Alto High) had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for Houston.

Hornets 88, Jazz 86: Greivis Vasquez hit a driving layup with 1.3 seconds left, leading host New Orleans past Utah even though the Hornets played without rookie center Anthony Davis for the second half. Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, left after taking an inadvertent elbow to the temple from fellow rookie and teammate Austin Rivers. Davis had eight points — all on dunks — six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Injured Hornets guard Eric Gordon told Yahoo! Sports that a Chicago knee specialist believes he can return to the team in four to six weeks without further surgery.

Timberwolves 92, Kings 80: J.J. Barea had 21 points and five assists in 28 minutes for host Minnesota. The Timberwolves’ Brandon Roy pitched in 10 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko added 10 points and seven rebounds as both players returned to NBA action for the first time since the end of the 2010-11 season.

Mavericks: Dallas waived Eddy Curry after just two games and replaced him on the roster with free-agent center Tro Murphy.

Lakers: Steve Nash is sitting out the game against the Clippers on Friday night with a bruised left leg. Nash was hurt in the first half of the Lakers’ loss at Portland on Wednesday night after colliding with rookie Damian Lillard. Nash attempted to play in the second half but couldn’t move properly. Veteran Steve Blake is expected to start in Nash’s place.

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